Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 53

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As Brianna rode in the carriage, she thought about who might be backing Margot. It couldn’t be the Countess, who had always treated Brianna kindly due to her connection with the Dowager Duchess. It wasn’t likely to be Count Kirchner or Michael either. The most plausible suspects were Adelheid or the head maid. Given Margot’s bold behavior, it seemed more likely that it was Adelheid.

But why Adelheid?

Brianna racked her brain, trying to recall if she had wronged Adelheid in any way, but nothing came to mind. Since arriving at the estate, she had barely spoken with her. Moreover, she had been careful to avoid any encounters with Lucius, knowing that Adelheid was interested in him.

“We’ve arrived.”

The carriage finally stopped, and Brianna took a deep breath. Then, she placed the mask she had been holding onto her face. The silver mask, adorned with elaborate feathers on the left side, covered the upper half of her face.

As she exhaled deeply, she reminded herself that under no circumstances should she let the mask slip off tonight. With that determination, she stepped out of the carriage.

She and Florian had planned to meet in front of the ballroom, but since she was late, only a few couples arriving after her were in sight. Florian was nowhere to be seen.

Assuming he had gone inside, Brianna headed to the entrance of the ballroom. She handed over her invitation, and a staff member from the cloakroom quickly appeared to take her coat. Brianna draped a shawl over her shoulders and stepped into the grand hall, where music flowed gently.

The moment she entered the ballroom, she was overwhelmed by its opulence and size. Despite the late hour, the room was brightly lit, as if it were the middle of the day. Dazzling lights glittered from all sides, and an orchestra played behind a curtain on one side of the room. Statues and paintings that looked like they belonged in a museum lined the edges of the hall.

Feeling as though she were dreaming, Brianna slowly walked through the room, taking in the sights. The dancing hadn’t started yet, so people were enjoying light refreshments and chatting with one another. Some were wandering around, searching for their partners just like Brianna.

It was chaotic at times, with people mistaking others for their partners. Many hesitantly called out names in small voices, while others stared at masked faces, only to gasp in surprise when they realized they had the wrong person.

Watching this, Brianna couldn’t help but laugh. Surely Florian wasn’t wandering around making the same mistakes, was he?

Despite expecting to find Florian quickly, she struggled to spot him in the crowd. There were simply too many people.

Maybe it’s better to just stay still and wait for him to find me?

Standing still amid the crowd, Brianna glanced upward. Small rooms lined the circular second-floor balcony that surrounded the ballroom. It seemed easier to search for Florian from up there, especially since his blonde hair would stand out.

Brianna lifted her skirt slightly and made her way up the stairs. As she reached the top and approached the railing, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist from behind. The soft fabric that had draped over her shoulders fell to the floor.

At first, she thought it must be Florian. Who else would grab her so boldly? But when she turned around, she saw that the person had neither blonde hair nor Florian’s familiar build. This man had reddish-brown hair and a completely different figure. He wore a fox-shaped mask, and he was a stranger.

“Um…”

Before she could tell him that he had mistaken her for someone else, the man tightened his grip on her wrist and began to pull her somewhere.

“W-wait!”

Brianna tried to shake off his grip, but he wouldn’t budge.

As panic quickly set in, Brianna realized where the man was taking her. He was heading for one of the rooms on the second floor.

Why? Why would a stranger suddenly grab me like this?

“Let go…”

Just as Brianna was about to shout again, another man stepped between them, blocking her path.

At first, all she saw was the back of a man dressed in black. As she raised her gaze slightly, she noticed his broad shoulders covered by a navy formal coat, followed by the sight of his black hair.

Suddenly, her wrist was no longer in the grip of the first man but in the hand of the man standing in front of her.

“…Your partner seems to be running late.”

The man in the fox mask shrugged. “I thought she was looking for a new partner, so I approached her. My mistake.”

He quickly left, and once they were alone, the man in front of Brianna slowly turned around.

Unlike most people who wore half-masks that only covered part of their faces, this man wore a golden mask that covered his entire face.

But despite the mask, Brianna immediately recognized him.

“Lucius…”

The large hand holding her wrist twitched slightly. He let out a soft sigh and released her.

“Do you know what it means to go up to the second floor at a ball?”

“What do you mean…?”

Lucius sighed again, deeper this time. “Leaving the ballroom and going up to the second floor implies that you’re interested in more than just dancing. It suggests that you want to spend some private time in one of the rooms…”

Although he phrased it politely, Brianna understood what he meant.

So that man thought I came up here for… that. He thought I was looking for a new partner to be intimate with. Now his earlier comment makes sense.

“I didn’t know…” Brianna’s face turned red as she vehemently denied it. “I’ve never been to a ball like this before… I was just looking for Florian…”

“I figured as much, but…”

When Brianna wavered slightly, Lucius caught her. “Brianna?”

“I’m fine. I just relaxed a little…”

In truth, it was more than just relaxation. Brianna felt cold as ice, realizing that if Lucius hadn’t appeared when he did, she would have been dragged into a room against her will.

“…You should calm down first.”

Lucius leaned her against the railing for support and picked up her shawl from the floor. Then he helped her walk to a different location.

He led her to the terrace, where he sat her down on a chair. After a moment, he returned with two glasses filled with a red liquid.

“Drink. A little alcohol will help warm you up.”

“Thank you.”

Brianna took a sip. The drink was sweet, more like juice than alcohol, with a mix of fruits and bubbles. But after just one sip, she felt even thirstier. She gulped down the drink quickly, and Lucius swiftly took the glass from her.

“If you drink too much of this, you’ll get drunk.”

“Oh…”

Brianna felt a bit embarrassed. He might misunderstand and think she drinks a lot. In truth, she wasn’t much of a drinker.

In any case, the drink warmed her up, and her mind cleared. Only then did she begin to wonder about the situation earlier.

Come to think of it, how did he recognize me?

When she had been downstairs among the masked crowd, everyone seemed to blend together. Even if Florian knew what she was wearing, Lucius wouldn’t have had that information.

“…You recognized me again.”

Whether her face was hidden or not, Lucius always seemed to find her. Brianna realized that now.

“It’s amazing how you always manage to find me.”

She suddenly worried that her words might have sounded odd, so she quickly added, “I’ve heard soldiers have a strong instinct for detection, able to notice things that most people wouldn’t…”

“Detection instinct, huh…” Lucius murmured quietly. “Perhaps.”

He gave a vague response and took a sip of his drink.

Indeed, why do I always manage to find you?